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"Batman: Noel" is an interesting story with a twist on the premise of "A Christmas Carol" with great moments that help make the graphic novel a decent read for fans. However, the best thing about this is the artwork, which very well drawn and the callbacks to the 60's Batman show is nice.

Incredable art and flow and style and adaption of a clasic to a clasic. It embodys the depth of a christmas carol like no other adaption I have seen... not even the muppets. :) Showing how in eforts to surpass self and create the great world we desire we lose sight of where those visions comefrom and blind ourselves to ourselves and what matters in life. This is a if you only read one, one.

theorbys
Sep 07, 2012

Superman and Batman are almost neck and neck as to who is the greatest comic book hero ever, but I think Batman deserves the nod because, as in this book, he brings out the best in comics creators. Bermejo's writing AND art ! (esp. the art), Barbara Ciardo's coloring, and Todd Klein's inking are all best quality (and I never mention colorists or inkers). And I think coming up with a new angle on Batman deserves some credit too. Not a new take though, as we have seen the grim too Dark, Knight get reminded of his humanity before, but never cast as Scrooge. I would suggest you go through the book first just taking in the pictures, they make the book.

Batman goes through his version of Dicken's Christmas Carole, complete with Ghosts of Christmas Past, Bob Cratchet and a Tiny Tim. Of course there is also the redemption of Batman at the end.

Let's be blunt. Almost everyone has adapted A Christmas Carole to one situation or another. Every TV show does this at some point, as do most ongoing literary series. The novelty in doing this is watching the writer adapt the classic tale to a new environs, in this case Batman's Gotham. Choices for the different characters will make you smile, others will elicit a cringe. There is no novelty in the storytelling, which is why this only gets 3 stars. A more novel adaptation, perhaps moving away from Christmas or drawing less blatant parallels would have made this book more original.

metalsox
Jan 13, 2012

The artwork in this is amazing. Good stand alone x-mas-ish story not in any continuity.

A new original graphic novel by Bermejo; I'm not sure if it's meant to be a standalone, or to fit into continuity either before or after the recent DC reboot. What it does well is a parallel sort of take on Dickens' Christmas Carol, with Batman pursuing the Joker. Bermejo has a gritty, gothic style that suits the terrain of Gotham quite well, and I like his rendering of Batman.